Lightning Photographer Missing!

There has been a possible (only a possible) sighting.

From the point person in the search this morning:

"We received notification that someone who had seen our media coverage may have spotted Steve’s car driving on Highway 260 between Payson and Show Low. This is an *unconfirmed* sighting as the people who reported it to local police weren’t positive of the license plate number but thought it may have ended in EEL and it was a silver Honda. Besides not knowing for sure if it was Steve’s car, we don’t know if it was him driving it. However, these people did think enough of the car to tell police who in turn called it in to Mesa PD. Based on that possible sighting, Mesa PD has added the Northern AZ region to the ATL (Attempt to Locate)."

The Show Low paper was contacted and may run a story.

Although this might not mean anything, it does reiterate one point...that Steve could be anywhere, not just in or around the Superstition Mountains as one news report indicated. That is just where he was last seen. Because Steve is a photographer, plus according to the articles in the paper, was battling depression, nothing can be ruled out about his whereabouts.

Thanks to those who are following this and are willing to keep an eye out while chasing monsoon. Anything is possible, you just never know. You could be the one to see him.

BIG FISH, small world
Although Arizona is big, I'm reminded this morning that spotting specific cars even in this landscape is not impossible. For the fourth time in the last couple weeks, I saw a big white pickup truck with license place "BIG FISH" this morning on the 202 freeway. I have seen him on the Beeline Hwy twice. It reminds me that although PHX metro is approaching 4 million, the same car has shared the road with me a number of occasions. It truly is a small world. So it is not impossible to be out there in the desert or alpine areas and possibly see Steve's car. (1998 Silver Honda 072-EEL AZ plates). Plus, in many areas around here, you can see forever.

Thanks for keeping an eye out, and pls include the Northern Arizona plateaus and Rim Country on the list of possible places. Nothing can be ruled out though, including southern AZ. To get an idea of his work, visit

Steve's gallery
 
Yes he was! And he's fine. He was lost in the Superstition Wilderness and other than needing to be taken by ambulance to hospital for dehydration, he emerged unscathed.

He is SO lucky. Since the gold rush days, 74 people went into those mountains and never returned, so the local lore around here says. Not surprising, the place is a labyrinth of 2,000-3,000 foot cliffs, intense desert heat, flash floods, snakes. Some of those from the old west who disappeared met with foul play as well.

When I got the call from a park ranger that Steve was missing, I went out there to check trailheads for his car and talk to more park rangers. I was able to cover the north and northeast side of the mountain (pictured below) before the daylight was gone. Later, Steve told me that he had parked in a non-trailhead area right in that same spot, which I had passed about four times, but never saw his car because it was hidden by tall chaparral! I couldn't believe it how close I had been.

The Superstitions seem to mysteriously attact lightning, which is why I'm always shooting from the ghost town there. They say Superstition mountain is the birthplace of the Apache thunder god. I think there might be something to that! The 3000 ft. cliff face of one of the mountains is seen below. There is actually a (poorly maintained) trail called the Siphon Draw that goes up to the top. I understand it is an arduous hike that will even exhaust the experienced, plus the trail tends to appear and disappear as well. One day I might try it (in winter).

StromLostDutch.jpg

StromDutch.jpg


I can see part of the Superstition wilderness from my town (see the far mountain). During August chases I'd stare out at these cliffs, feel the hot desert wind and wonder just where the heck in that maze Steve could be.

I'm just glad that Steve's ok. Quite honestly as the days wore on everybody was having doubts whether we would ever see him again. We were all elated the way it turned out.

StromRedcliff.jpg
 
Back in 1983 when I was in high school in Tucson, a girl in my architecture class got lost up in the Mt Charleston area and went missing for a day. It was big news on the local media. She eventually made it down the canyons into the Tucson suburbs, fine and a little scratched up.

Well, the next day in school some guys in the machine shop found some tape that had arrows on it, and they laid out a path on the ground that went hundreds of yards across the school campus from her math class to the architecture class. I'm sure it wasn't very nice, but it was still funny nonetheless.

Glad Steve made it out of there.

Tim
 
She was lucky too. That's rugged country with similar terrain to Superstition wilderness. More big kitties though I think running around those hills.

I'm glad she came back in one piece and could laugh about it later...
 
I hope you find him. Keep us posted on any news. Our hearts are with him and his family.
 
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